Beebleblog

So you have decided to get your body into shape and treat it to a bit of controlled torture. This is sometimes a difficult decision but it can be easier to go to a gym than trying to maintain a good training routine at home. Here are a few ideas to help you choose the right gym:

Location

Now, the closer the gym the more likely you are to go to it. The more effort involved in going to the gym, the easier it is to find something else to do. The snob in you may want to choose the upmarket uber expensive gym. However if there is one nearer, then I would advise you to go to that one. I would also recommend that if you find a gym that is close to your home and one that is close to your place of work then go with the one that is closer to work. You see our minds are very easily distracted by so many things at home, so you are also more likely to maintain a good routine if you can go directly from work. It is a good place to get rid of the stresses of the day!

Equipment

I expect there are a few of you that are waiting for me to list a few essential items or brands of gym equipment, well this is not entirely what you should be looking for. For example take a busy gym that has equipment with all the bells and whistles and a quieter gym with basic equipment. Obviously the one with top of the range equipment is more desirable. However your training is going to be severely interrupted if you have to wait to get onto each piece of equipment. It would be much better to use the gym where you know you can complete a routine with no interruptions. Remember a lot of these machines whether they are top of the range or not achieve the same results. There is no proof that one brand gives better results than another.

Make sure you find out how busy the gym gets at peak times and how many members they have. Gyms with more than 8000 members can get very busy. When you are looking at the equipment make sure they also have a good number of the popular pieces. For example treadmills are very popular so make sure that for the size of the gym you have a good amount of space dedicated to them. With weights equipment make sure that they have at least one piece of equipment for each body part e.g. Quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (backs of thighs), calfs (rear of lower leg), chest, back, biceps (tops of arms), triceps (back of upper arm) and shoulders. More importantly make sure they have a good free weights section because even though exercise maybe new to you now, you will want to progress to using free weights further down the line.

Remember a clean gym is a gym that not only is looked after but is run well by people who care. Check for dust on machines, too much and maybe give it a miss. One last piece of advice: look out for any items that are out of order. The more equipment that isn’t working then the less they are likely to care about it or you.

Staff

Not only is a clean gym important but so are clean staff. Take a good look at them. If they look messy with shirts hanging out then they don’t care about themselves and if they don’t look after themselves they are very unlikely to want to look after you. Gym staff that group together and chat amongst themselves are also another key issue to look out for. More likely than not they are bored and disinterested in what is happening around them. Not always their fault, it can be the management’s fault by not providing the inspiration they need. Either way avoid gyms where you see this happening.

Find out what qualifications they need to work there. You want to make sure that if you decide to use a personal trainer or a gym instructor to design your program that they are properly qualified to do so. Getting a program designed by someone who is unqualified could be unsafe and is unlikely to get you to your desired goals. A gym should be a happy environment so if you do not see smiles from the staff then be wary that if they are not happy there then the service they offer you could be well below par.

Extras

Services like massage and treatments, spas and sport facilities can all be enticing but if you are unlikely to use them regularly they can be more distracting than useful. Concentrate on the parts of the gym that you want to use regularly. I always think that adding an exercise class of any kind makes training more exciting, so find out what they offer and if you have to pay extra or not. Good changing and showering facilities are essential in a gym and make sure they have them and they are clean because with your new training routine a shower will become your new best friend.

Money

Budget, budget, budget…. It is so important that you don’t pay more than you have to or can do. Gyms are very expensive and it is a regular monthly payment. If you can afford a top of the range gym and it fits all the prerequisites, then go for it. If money is an issue or the gym is not something that you want to be spending a lot on then don’t worry. There are plenty of affordable gyms and a lot of gyms also have offers for off peak training, if you can do it, and discounts are available if you ask. They are keen to keep their numbers up so are nearly always keen to get you in rather than lose you. Some gyms now ask for a joining fee; this is just gym snobbery and doesn’t actually mean that their gym is any better than anyone else’s.

Always remember that if a gym is too expensive for you, then there is a place called ‘the outdoors’ that lets you run, cycle and exercise for completely free. They have fresh air and ever changing surroundings. It is my favourite place to train and with a bit of guidance from websites like beebleblog.com you can achieve all the goals you need to outside.

It can be a misconception that you need a gym to train in. You can achieve all your goals with no equipment except for your body. The benefit of a gym is that it is being paid for which can be motivating. It’s never nice to see money going out for no reason and therefore getting your money’s worth is a motivator. A gym also has other like minded people to socialise with and you can help push each other, it should also have helpful fully trained staff who can attend to your individual goals and needs. The long and short of it when choosing a gym never lose sight of what you are joining for. Your goal is the single most important aspect when deciding where to go.

I hope this helps some of you newcomers to the gym and that you end up exercising in the place that gets you to your goals. If you have any suggestions or ideas that have helped you chose a gym then please let us know about it by leaving us a comment. Just visit the comments section below and write away.

All the best and good luck.

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